After a dirty week in which the failings of his team's Renault engines were exposed, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has warned that a season of Mercedes team domination could hurt the appeal of formula one and that equalisation policies should be considered.

Nico Rosberg, who flashed by the chequered flag in second place, was only 1.3 seconds behind the winner, his teammate Lewis Hamilton. The pair of them, riding in those silver Mercedes, looked like princes returning their horses to the stable.

With this year's Australian Grand Prix marking the 20th world championship Formula One race in Melbourne, everything was in place for a celebration. But when the chequered flag dropped, it was a familiar tale of misery for fans of the hometown hope.